Joe Girardi said Soriano seemed to begin turning things around after he was hit by a pitch April 6 against the Blue Jays. His power from the right side of the plate clearly is a necessity for the Yankees this season.

"Obviously, he can get hot and carry a team,'' Girardi said. "It's what he's capable of doing, and that's why he's important to our lineup.''

Soriano, 38, has hit 20 home runs since being reacquired by the Yankees last July 17 from the Cubs. That's the most in the majors in that span. Of course, playing at Yankee Stadium certainly can't hurt a guy who has power to the opposite field like Soriano. His home run to rightfield off Lackey didn't necessarily look great off the bat, but it ended up in the seats anyway.

"I asked him if he hit it well,'' said Carlos Beltran, who had a home run to rightfield of his own. "He said a little bit off the end of the bat, but that's what happens when you play in a ballpark with a short porch in rightfield. Anything can happen.''